Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo

Aaaa-mazing things happen when you scorch the heck out of red bell peppers and then peel that burnt skin off. Weird right? Just accept that awesome weirdness and try it for yourself. You'll be oh so glad you skipped the jarred pasta sauce and went the homemade route.

First things first. Sautee up some onion and garlic, because most good things start that way.

Time for the half & half and goat cheese. Add the peppers and make sure to season with salt and pepper before blending. 

Yummmm, the sauce has finally come full circle and is ready for some good ole carbs. Toss in the pasta and try to contain your giddiness.

You can find the original recipe here: http://www.laurenslatest.com/roasted-red-pepper-goat-cheese-alfredo/

Ingredients:
4 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fat free half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 box linguine, cooked to al dente
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 25 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and seal in plastic bag for 10 minutes.

In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in oil until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.

Hearty Tomato Soup

I don't know about you, but with the cold weather lately (yeah yeah, "cold" is a relative term out here in Cali) ...I just can't get enough of warm, comforting soups. Problem is, with working all day, I really don't have time to let a pot of soup simmer all day on the stove. Problem solved with this tomato soup, its fast and satisfies that need for a warm, comforting bowl of soup.

Consider yourself warned that this is not the thin tomato soup from a can. It has much more texture and thickness, but the flavor is sooo much better!

The secret is mixing canned, roasted tomatoes with fresh roasted tomatoes. I blended mine in the food processor, but if you want a smoother texture, the blender might be a good idea. You can find the original recipe here: http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2012/02/07/tomato-heart-soup/?_szp=97441&_szi=23

Ingredients:

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, in their skins
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 pinch salt and freshly ground pepper (for roasting tomatoes)
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (for soup)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 500.
• Toss the tomato wedges and garlic with the oil, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and toss them into a food processor with the 2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes and the roasted Romas. Blitz until pureed.
• Pour pureed tomatoes into a saucepan and simmer until heated through, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Diablo & Corn Chow-da

This post is more of a "look at what I did" post rather than an in depth recipe. Moving forward with this blog I plan on taking step by step pictures and documenting more of the recipe itself. However, this past week I made some pretty incredible dishes that I just couldn't pass up on sharing.

Up first...Corn Chow-da...and yes, you must say it like that, with your best attempt at a southern accent...it just tastes better that way...

Here's the recipe and credit for this wonderful dish, I can't say enough good things about this blog!!
http://bevcooks.com/2012/07/smoky-corn-chowder-with-shrimp/

Done drooling? Here's another one for ya, it's called Chicken Diablo, aka, light your mouth on fire...I don't know if you're into that kind of thing, but I'm that kinda girl. I suppose using Tapatio instead of Frank's was also part of my down fall, but I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Make this cheap/simple recipe tonight, you can thank me later.

http://bevcooks.com/2011/12/chicken-diablo/

Adventures in Pozole

Can you believe it?! After being with someone from Mexico for over 7 years, living in Mexico for 4 months....I've never had Pozole! I should be shunned by the entire Mexican community. Thank God the stars aligned and I was enlightened!

So, I've recently stumbled across this A-MAZING food blog, bevcooks.com...I can almost guarantee that you'll be seeing a lot of my posts about her recipes. It's not that I don't have my own original recipes (cough cough, stolen from my Mom), but this week alone I've tried three of her recipes and each one has blown my mind and tantalized my taste buds.

Last night I attempted her somewhat laborious Pozole...the flavors were seriously amazing and it had just the right amount of heat as well. Here is my take on the recipe (since I didn't have every ingredient)...

Ingredients:

2 large beefsteak tomatoes
4 large dried guajillo peppers
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 white onion cut into 1/2 inch rounds
3 Tbs. sriracha sauce
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 pounds chicken (skinless boneless thighs and breasts) (I would also love this without the chicken)
1 quart chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 (14.5 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 avocado finely diced
6 radishes finely sliced
1 lime

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500. Score an X in the bottom of each tomato and place them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast tomatoes for 25 minutes, until softened and slightly charred all over.
2. Cut the stems off the guajillo chiles and slice them lengthwise. Shake out the seeds. Lightly toast them in a small cast iron until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and let sit for 30 minutes, or until soft and pliable.
3. Toast the onions and garlic in the skillet until you see charred marks on all sides, and the onions have softened, about 10 minutes.
4. To a blender, add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chiles (drained from water), and sriracha sauce. Puree until very smooth. Add a little water if needed.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium high. Add the puree (it will probably splatter) to the pan and and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add a cup of water, vinegar, sugar and a Tbs. of salt. Partially cover and simmer on a medium heat for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes of simmering, add the chicken, oregano, hominy, chicken stock and another Tbs. salt. Stir to combine, and simmer on medium for another 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Ladle pozole into bowls and garnish with sliced radishes, dice avocado, and a good spritz of lime juice.

Here my friends are the glorious results...(note to self...take better pictures)